Wall hydrants generally comprise a support plate that abuts a wall of a structure, a hose bib extending from the plate, a means to control fluid flow through the hose bib, a fluid supply tube, a valve, and a tube that contains a mechanism operates the valve. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the fluid supply tube can also include the means to control the fluid flow. Hydrants are also commonly known as “outdoor faucets.”
Protective enclosures that conceal and protect hydrants are sometimes incorporated into interior or exterior building walls. Enclosures are generally comprised of a box that surrounds the hose bib and control means and an interconnected door. The enclosure prevents hydrant operation, prevents theft of hydrant components (e.g., brass), protects the hydrant from the elements (i.e., salt air), and provides a wall support that firmly interconnects the hydrant to a structure. The enclosure door is interconnected to an outer edge of the box and may be selectively locked.
Enclosures are made in various sizes and shapes, and may accommodate a single or dual hydrant that carries hot and cold water, for example. Existing enclosures are rigidly mounted to a wall and are difficult to replace. For example, if an enclosure is in need of repair, the hydrant must first be disconnected and removed. Then, the box must be removed from the wall. One of skill the art will appreciate that this method of repair is labor intensive, time consuming, and inefficient as often only the door is damaged. In addition, keys that are used to open door locks are often lost, which causes maintenance personnel to pry the door open, which damages the door. Thereafter, the door or entire enclosure must be replaced to ensure that the door can be locked or closed properly.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-6 a wall hydrant 2 and associated enclosure 66 of the prior art is shown. The hydrant 2 comprises a plate 10 that supports a fluid outlet 14 and a plurality of tube bosses extending therefrom. A control tube boss 18 receives a control tube 22, and a fluid tube boss 26 receives a fluid supply tube 30. The fluid supply tube and the control tube are connected to their respective bosses and to a valve 34. An outside surface of the plate 10 includes an aperture 42 that receives a key 46 that is selectively interconnected to a stem screw 50. The key controls the flow of water by way of a control rod 54. The outside surface of the plate 10 also includes the fluid outlet 14, which may be interconnected to backflow preventer 58. A backflow preventer used by some embodiments is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,042,565, which is incorporated by reference herein. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the interconnection of the plate 10 to the back wall of the enclosure constitutes a leak point, wherein water can infiltrate the space behind the enclosure and can damage the structure to which the enclosure is attached and become a mold issue.
In operation, the user interconnects the key 46 to the stem screw 50, which is operatively interconnected to the control rod 54. Turning the key 46 moves the control rod 54 which moves the plunger 62 away from a valve 34 to allow fluid flow through the fluid supply tube 30 as shown in FIG. 2. When the key 46 is turned in the opposite direction, the control rod 54 will move the plunger 62 into engagement with the valve 34 as shown in FIG. 3, which prevents fluid flow through the fluid supply tube 30.
The enclosure 66 that receives the wall hydrant is shown in FIGS. 4-6. The enclosure 66 comprises a box 70 and a door 74. In some applications the box 70 is of sufficient depth to receive a plate 10 and interconnected backflow preventer 58. If a shallow box is used, the wall hydrant and interconnected components may be accommodated by a bulge in the door, as shown in FIG. 5, for example. The key 46 may also be left interconnected to the stem screw 50 in some instances. The depth of the box 70 allows for the door 74 to be closed to conceal the entire wall hydrant 2 and included backflow preventer 58. The plate is integrated to, bolted, or otherwise interconnected to a rear surface of the box.
Of course, exiting enclosures are an added wall hydrant installation component that requires additional material and adds cost and complexity to the overall system. Further, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that prior art enclosures are made of brass or stainless steel and are, thus, heavy. This added weight renders the enclosure cumbersome and difficult to install.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate enclosures are difficult to use. More specifically, because the plate 10 and associated backflow preventer 58 are spaced from a front edge 78 of the box 70, it is often difficult for some users to get a hand into the box to connect a back flow preventer, a hose, and engage the key 46 or turn a knob to initiate fluid flow. Further, if the door 74 is damaged, the entire enclosure 66 must be removed.
It is thus a long felt need to provide a hydrant enclosure that is easy to install, easy to use, and that accepts various types of fluid connections. Those of skill in the art will also appreciate that it would be advantageous to provide a hydrant enclosure with a replaceable door. These and other features, alone or in combination, are provided by the embodiments the present invention, which will be described below.